[PHOTOS] SheaMoisture #RealCurl Panel Recap

Hair and identity go hand in hand and going natural is still a big deal across the globe. I know. It's 2015 and there tons of natural hair blogs, but let me remind you that natural hair still makes a lot of people and often our families uncomfortable.
For centuries, hair texture discrimination has been used to make people feel inferior. The good hair vs. bad hair ideology that society has placed on us is still prevalent in many communities of color, including mines. Even within the natural hair community, there's the "your curls are better and smoother than mine". When I hear this, I remind women that their curl pattern is unique to them and just as beautiful. Sometimes I wish my hair was even curlier than it is so that I can achieve a firm afro. But this is how the creator made me.

With these types of conversation in mind, On Sunday, July 18th, SheaMoisture hosted #RealCurl, a transcultural conversation about acceptance and celebration, to discuss the curly hair journey! The #RealCurl panel took place at the Latina Magazine Beauty Expo and featured curly hair YouTube star Alba Garcia,Tribe Called Curl founder Imani Dawson, Gypsy In The City Founder, Ada Rojas and yours truly.

I was humbled to have shared the floor with other curly haired women that I admire. The conversation was moderated by Shade45's Valerie Lora and covered our experiences living with curly hair, how those experiences have impacted our lives, and how we celebrate, appreciate, and love our hair everyday!

See some of the photos from our natural hair afternoon.

How is curly hair perceived in your culture?

Did you feel pressure to relax your hair? If so, who pressured you and why?

Do you believe there is discrimination within the curly hair community between women of soft, curly hair and women of kinky, coily hair? If so, how do you think we can change that?